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These fun to knit socks feature cute squirrels, acorns, and leaves in celebration of our native woodlands and their wildlife. They are inspired by (and named after) the nearby Brahan estate where we often walk, sometimes spotting a little red squirrel scampering through the branches high above us! From the edge of the woods, we look down to the winding river with autumn mists hanging above it (represented by the grey background colour), while the twisted cable ribbing represents the mossy roots beneath our feet.

Method: These stranded colorwork socks are knit in the round from the cuff down with a round heel and gusset decreases placed on the sole. The colorwork is charted to minimize pattern jog and the start of the round is placed at the back of the leg and the center of the sole. There is an accompanying photo tutorial to aid in correct placement of the heel.

These socks can be knitted on dpns, by magic loop, or on a short circular (in which case you will still need dpns for the heel and toe decreases).

Please note the colorwork design in this pattern is charted not written out. You need to be prepared to read and work from charts in order to enjoy knitting this design.

Size: This pattern is written in 4 sizes referred to throughout the pattern as S, M, L, and XL. All instructions that differ depending on the size you are knitting are color coded.

Yarn: You can use any 4 ply (fingering) sock yarn that you like and with which you can get tension/ gauge. Please note I do not recommend using yarns with a high cotton content as cotton doesn’t stretch as much as other fibers and this will affect the fit of your socks.

This is a great pattern to experiment with color and use mini skeins or any leftovers lurking in your stash. Be creative, have fun, but keep in mind changes will affect yardage and number of ends to weave in. The amounts of each color required will depend on how many colors you pick, where you choose to use them in the sock, and which size you are knitting. As a guide for the pair pictured (size M in four colors) I used the following quantities of West Yorkshire Signature 4 ply:

MC – 129 Dusty Miller approx. 160 metres, 175 yards
CC1 – 351 Cardamom approx. 120 metres, 131 yards
CC2 – 630 Nutmeg approx. 40 metres, 44 yards
CC3 – 240 Butterscotch approx. 40 metres, 44 yards